By Emily Drooby
Mary Buck and her children, including her newborn son Jacob, are in Washington D.C. for the March For Life. Back in 2014 Mary buck’s daughter grace, was born with Trisomy 18. That’s a genetic condition that is usually fatal.
“I carried my daughter Grace through the pregnancy and she was with us for 46 days and then she passed away and she was very much a blessing to our family,” said Buck.
Discovery of the disease can sometimes lead to an abortion – buck says she was grateful for the time she was able to spend with her daughter.
“We really just let God and our daughter Grace lead the way,” she said.
Buck and her children are some of the ten thousand people, 500 seminarians, 50 deacons, 250 priests, and 39 bishops who attended the opening Mass for the National Prayer Vigil For Life at the Basilica Of The National Shrine Of The Immaculate Conception.
“It’s like heaven on earth, seeing everyone here together, especially the amount of youth that are here, is very hopeful,” said Debra Carey Westerly from Rhode Island.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was the celebrant for the vigil’s opening Mass. During his homily and an interview, he discussed what conservative Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court could mean for Roe V Wade, which legalized abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy.
“Certainly with the reconfiguration of the court there is some hope that might happen. But I think even if that were to happen we have to be prepared to fight battles in every state across the country,” he said.
Pilgrims listened intently to Archbishop Naumann, and for so many, the vigil prepares them for not only for Friday’s march, but also their continued fight for life.
“There’s so many young people, religious sisters, the priests, the deacons, the seminarians, the bishops the cardinals, it just brings so much hope it’s kinda a shot in the arm to keep on keeping on, what we are doing,” said Colleen from Donohoe Boston.